I'd bite the bullet and replace those lights: you'll have to eventually, no?, or deal with that black presumably carcinogenic crap that leaks out of all the ballasts as they wear out.
Listening in the dark-Fluorescent lights causing hum
Recently my fluorescent lights have begun causing a hum in my stereo. This wasn’t noticeable before. Turn off the overhead lights and the hum disappears. How can I treat this? I have too many fluorescent light fixtures to replace all of them. I tried plugging the equipment into a Furman DST-8. No improvement. I’ve heard ground loop isolators work but can effect sound quality. Would it be worth buying one to try? Is that effective in this case? I don’t mind listening with the fluorescent lights off, but I can’t always do that. You help is appreciated.